"When Fiat Chrysler announced its decision to move production of the Ram Truck plant from Mexico to Michigan, President Donald Trump tweeted praise for the company's 'very wise decision' and a promise of more to follow.

But economic analysts note that the 2,500 jobs Fiat Chrysler plans to create at the Warren Truck Plant lags the auto manufacturing jobs lost in 2017.

And despite the significant development, announced Thursday, which FCA confirmed will lead to hiring in 2020, auto industry analysts say many jobs will go to autoworkers whose jobs will have been eliminated at other plants and also by shifting temporary workers into full-time roles.

Kristin Dziczek, director of the Industry, Labor & Economics Group at the Center for Automotive Research, said manufacturing data is more complicated now than ever because of the changing roles involving suppliers and automakers as well as part-time and full-time hiring.

More: Fiat Chrysler will invest $1B in Warren Truck plant; bring Ram work back from Mexico

'On the net, we’re down this year in automotive jobs that tie closely to production' in the U.S., she said. 'Overall, we’ve flattened out if not come down a little bit in the auto industry.'

Motor vehicle and parts manufacturing employment in the U.S. declined from 788,900 in December 2016 to 783,200 in November 2017, Dziczek said.

The president's focus on job creation won support from industrial heartland voters during his campaign. And in March 2017, he praised General Motors when he flew to Detroit to highlight the importance of American manufacturing. That same day, GM announced plans for 900 new or retained jobs in Michigan within 12 months.